R.A.B.I sees Record Rise in Benefit Enquiries

In 2017, The Royal Agricultural
Benevolent Institution (R.A.B.I) helped people from the agricultural sector
claim record levels of state benefits.

The charity’s welfare team helped people claim £472,809 in state
benefits last year, a 65 per cent increase on the previous year’s
figure of £286,691. This rise comes in the face of widespread cutbacks
to many benefits.

Trish Pickford, R.A.B.I’s Head of Welfare, said:
“A lot of time
and effort is going into providing information for people who contact
us, which does not necessarily show up in our grant-giving statistics.
This includes such things as signposting people to other charities,
as well as giving advice on claiming benefits and Local Authority
funding procedures.

“The nature of our work today is more time-consuming
and more complex than in the past. People are falling through the
net, being left with less money – or none at all – when benefits
are stopped. Many also face the spectre of eviction and homelessness,
while debt continues to be a big problem too.”

The
Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution has been
offering financial support to people in farming since 1860. In
2017, R.A.B.I paid out grants of £1,990, 262 to 1,260 individuals
/ families and this included grants of £297,416 to working people
and their dependants.

The total sum paid out in 2017 also included:

£58k towards home-help
costs

£216k towards care home top-up fees

£197k clearing domestic
bills

£146k on disability equipment and home adaptations

Trish Pickford added:
“Our welfare staff continue to take a variety of training
courses, mainly in connection with Universal Credit – which is still being
rolled out – and with mandatory reconsiderations and appeals on behalf of people
turned down for Employment and Support Allowance and Personal Independence
Payments.”

From January 1, 2018 R.A.B.I increased its level of regular grants to those
receiving long-term support. The charity has also taken on an additional regional
officer, taking the number of welfare officers covering England and Wales to
14.

Paul
Burrows, R.A.B.I CEO, said: “Providing financial support for farming
families is at the heart of what we do, but there’s a lot more to it than simply
sending out cheques in the post.

“Our welfare officers understand farming and
its issues. They take the time to visit people, build relationships and talk
through problems and possible solutions.

“Many people contact us when they
have nowhere else to turn. We work with them to give them renewed hope and
tailor our support to suit their needs.”